Home : Religion and Belief

Muslim Woman Sues Prison for Forcing Her to Remove Headscarf in Front of Male Guards and Prisoners (05/25/2005)
MADISON, WI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin today filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Cynthia Rhouni, a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her religious headscarf, or hijab, in front of male guards and prisoners as a condition of visiting her son's father at Columbia Correctional Institution.

ACLU of Florida Launches Religious Freedom Project (05/19/2005)
MIAMI -- In response to recent and bold assaults on First Amendment freedoms, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida will launch the Florida Religious Freedom Project. The project will focus on issues in the state involving religious freedom and separation of church and state.

ACLU Files Lawsuit to Protect Religious Liberty of Imprisoned Asylum Seeker (05/18/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging restrictions on an asylum seeker's right to wear a religious head covering. The plaintiff, Harpal Singh Cheema, is a devout Sikh, imprisoned since 1997 while awaiting a decision on his asylum application.

Louisiana School Board Repeatedly Defied Federal Court Order, Charges ACLU (04/05/2005)
NEW ORLEANS--The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed a motion for criminal contempt against the Tangipahoa Parish School Board for defying an agreed on court order banning official prayer at athletic events. This marks the second contempt motion filed against the school board within the past two weeks for violating court orders.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Urges High Court to Keep Government Out of Religion Business (03/24/2005)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments today in a case that will determine whether the state can be forced to fund religious education with taxpayer money through its school voucher program.

Wyoming Residents, Including Descendants of Mormon Pioneers, Sue to Block LDS Church Control of National Historic Site (03/09/2005)
CHEYENNE, WY -- Saying that visitors to a national historic site are being made to feel like outsiders on public lands, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court here to block the Bureau of Land Management from leasing the site, known as Martin's Cove, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

ACLU Calls on Congress To Oppose Government-Funded Discrimination, House Defeats Key Civil Rights Protections (03/02/2005)
WASHINGTON - Following the House of Representatives' failure to adopt a key civil rights amendment to a jobs training bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to reject the underlying measure. The amendment would have prevented federally funded religious organizations from using religious litmus tests in employment decisions.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Protect Religious Liberty in Ten Commandments Case (03/02/2005)
WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court today heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of Ten Commandments displays on government land and buildings in two separate cases, including a successful challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky to courthouse displays.

City of Omaha and ACLU of Nebraska Announce Settlement in Lawsuit Over Muslim Woman Barred from Public Pool (02/18/2005)
OMAHA -- The City of Omaha and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska announced today that they have reached a settlement in the lawsuit Lubna Hussein v. City of Omaha.

Pennsylvania Jail Requires Religion With Rehabilitation, ACLU Charges (02/17/2005)
TOWANDA, PA-- The only vocational training program available at a Pennsylvania county jail forces prisoners to participate in religious discussions, religious lectures and prayer, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today in a complaint filed in federal court.

Following ACLU Action, Virginia Senate Committee Kills Bill Requiring Schools to Notify Parents When Students Refuse to Recite Pledge (02/17/2005)
RICHMOND, VA--On a 7-7 vote, the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee today blocked a bill intended to require schools to notify parents when their children refused to recite or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The vote followed a warning by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia that it was prepared to mount a legal challenge if the bill passed.

ACLU Says Congress Must Oppose Legislation Allowing Government-Funded Discrimination (02/16/2005)
WASHINGTON -A key House Committee approved a jobs training bill today that would allow, if it passes, federally funded religious organizations to discriminate against employees based on their religious beliefs. The same committee also rejected a modest amendment that would have corrected the constitutional concerns.